Force for change: Women in India

Women in India face challenges most people never will. In a society where by law women have equal rights to men, it often doesn’t seem that way. Men are still revered and women and young girls can face unchecked discrimination and violence.

Just 59% of rural women in the country are literate, according to a 2014 Catalyst study. And women made up only 26% of rural workers in 2009-2010, the study showed. When women in India do work, they’re paid 62% of a man’s salary for equal work, according to Catalyst. In 2011, the World Economic Forum’s global gender gap report showed that “the persistent health, education and economic participation gaps [for women] will be detrimental to India’s growth”.

Amid these odds, though, some women are making great strides. Here is the story of one woman who, with no formal education or experience, lifted an entire village from poverty by empowering the women around her.

Part of a three-video series following Shantha’s path from poverty to prosperity. In this video, we find out how Shantha took the rebellious route to escaping poverty.